How The Hills Fill My Heart (SNIPPET)
by Cody Zik
Summary: Ichigo, a young man and an orphan, leaves his home at an Austrian convent to become a tutor for the seven children of a retired Naval officer and widower. Not is all that it seems . . .


**Hello All,**

I'd promised myself I wouldn't post this until I was completely done, but seeing as how _Sing The Bells_ received so many views** after** I discontinued it, I figured I'd give you all something to chew on. According to my poll, this was the** first and most popular** choice to see written by **you**, the readers. If you don't like what you see, then I suggest **voting in the poll** on my profile.

That being said, I do hope you enjoy this **snippet** I've written - meaning it's** incomplete** and **may have a few errors.**

The story is **based on the musical/movie _The Sound of Music_** by Rogers and Hammerstein. So, if you've seen the movie, you'll notice the pairing hinted here.

Some general **warnings**: The current rating is **T**, but **this will change** when the full story is posted; there are instances of cursing, but nothing major to worry about; Ichigo has lived in an orphanage run by nuns, so there will be **aspects of the Christian ****religion** present in this fic -I am, in no way, forcing any of these beliefs on you, the reader. If you're offending by any of this, I suggest you stop reading here.

I do believe that about does it. I'll try to finish this as soon as possible if all goes well.

Make sure to **leave a review! **Reviews **encourage me to write more**, and it's sad when a story gets** so many views but almost no review**.

I'll see you at the end!

* * *

_HOW THE HILLS FILL MY HEART_

* * *

_SALZBURG, AUSTRIA_

_THE LAST GOLDEN DAYS OF THE THIRTIES_

* * *

Swirling white mists fill an eerie blue sky, clouding a craggy, snow-draped mountain range in a silvery cape. The massive foreboding peaks stretch to the horizon, sharp and jagged, before disappearing behind the low-lying clouds once again. A cool breeze pulls at the floating curtain, making not a sound to break the peaceful silence. Pale fog gives way to silken sheets of snow covering the mountainside as glowing ivory transitions into rugged grey and brown, the frozen crystals vanishing against the sheer rock face. Hundreds of feet below, a river glides through a grassy valley like a glistening ribbon as the snow-covered Alps give way to gently rolling hills and lush forests.

"Ichigo,"

A broad lake glitters in the brightening sunshine. Bird whistles sing in the distance, floating in the gentle air. A huge mountain reflects on the lake's clear surface, shimmering like a blue crystalline mirror from the sky above. A magnificent green valley lies nestled among the hills, the roofs of a quaint small town within clustered together around a church and its steeple. Elegant castles and mansions sit scattered lightly across acres of grassy emerald farmland.

_"Ichigo."_

The warm scent of straw immediately filled the boy's nose as a light weight fell on his face. He hastily sat up, jolted awake from his dreams the moment the straw hit him. The boy rose from his resting place on the hay bales scrubbing his face and dusting his plain clothes to rid himself of the nuisance. A deep chuckle drew chocolate brown eyes to a tall man with his hands on the end of a long-handled rake, his chin resting on top, a smile lighting the man's face and russet eyes. A black cloth wrapped around his head and held back any red hair that dared to escape from his long shaggy ponytail.

"Must you do that, Renji?" Ichigo scowled as he threaded long fingers through his untamable orange hair. The red-head, Renji, gave another chuckled before standing to his full height and slung the rake across his shoulders. "That was clean straw, I hope," Ichigo said, plucking a stray piece of the object in question and inspecting it.

"Yes, it was clean. Don't worry yourself, Ichigo." Renji smirked at his friend before removing the rake from his shoulders. "And besides! It's the only fun way to wake you! And the least dangerous – I'd much rather not receive a bruise when I try to wake you," the red-head teased, causing the younger male to blush lightly through his scowl. Ichigo's lips twitched in an attempt to suppress his smile which ultimately failed. After all, the statement was the absolute truth; more often than not, the sleeping orangette would jolt awake just as he did moments ago, sometimes spouting all sorts of nonsense, and any individual unfortunate enough to wake him would be hit in the process, regardless of who they were.

Ichigo rolled his eyes and left his friend to laugh, picking up another rake and spreading the hay he'd been resting on. The two boys worked in a comfortable silence until Renji finally spoke.

"You were dreaming again."

"Mmmm . . ." Ichigo hummed in response.

"Of the mountains?"

Ichigo sighed and paused in his work, drifting off to the world of his dreams once again. They weren't all dreams. No, not really. More like memories – memories of days gone by. He remembered a time when one particular group of young children would venture up into the rolling green hills beyond the city, singing and dancing, playing underneath a clear blue sky before the sun would fall below the horizon and beckon them home.

"Ichigo." The orangette was shaken from his reverie once again by Renji's voice. The elder regarded him carefully, observing him with his russet gaze before shaking his head with a sigh and returned to spreading the new hay throughout the small stable. "We're not children anymore."

Orange brows furrowed heavily with the glare dark amber eyes pinned on Renji. "I know that!" Ichigo huffed, scowling in his characteristic way.

"Then you know you can't go acting like one, dancing and singing through the fields like some wild fiend," Renji pointed out, frowning.

"I do not act like a wild fiend!" Ichigo exclaimed, grasping his friend on the arm, making him halt in his work. "Or a child, for that matter! And there's nothing wrong with singing!" The two men glared daggers at each other, work and hay easily forgotten, a battle of wills exchanged through their eyes. Then:

"Last time I checked," Ichigo released Renji's arm with a flourish, "I wasn't the only one who danced and played in the wilderness." The other's frown lessened slightly as he watched Ichigo drift to the entrance of the stable and lean against the open door. Renji could barely hear the boy as he whispered.

"The truth is . . . I don't want to forget."

Ichigo couldn't forget about the marvelous wonders that existed outside the abbey's walls, beyond the city streets, and in the beautiful landscapes the Austrian countryside had to offer. He and his friends, including Renji, spent their childhood playing in those fields. It was the only way they could forget the loneliness that lurked in their hearts, waiting for them back at home – the orphanage.

Nothing was known about Ichigo's past. He had been delivered to the nuns on the steps of the abbey while he was still a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes. No note, no name. And so the nuns took in the orange-haired child and added him to their ever-growing collection of poor orphans they housed at the far end of the convent in one of their many spare buildings. The nuns named him, fed him, taught him, and watched him grow along with the other children that became his family. It didn't last long, though. Slowly, that family began to diminish; Rukia and Orihime were both adopted into well-off and proper families, Uryu disappeared to take on schooling with the money he had scrounged over the years, and Sado was reunited with his lost relatives. And so, that left Renji and Ichigo alone at the orphanage, even as younger children joined them almost every day.

But now, with Renji at twenty-four and Ichigo at twenty-one, the nuns couldn't bear to part with the sons they had raised. The boys-turned-men agreed to stay, especially when they had nowhere else to go. The young men were given jobs about the convent, orphanage and adjoining buildings; Renji and Ichigo served to watch and teach the younger children at the orphanage when the nuns weren't available as well as perform manual work, such as cleaning out the stables and courtyards or even ringing the bells for mass.

But even as he grew, Ichigo couldn't – _wouldn't_ – forget about the happy times he spent laying under the sun in soft grassy meadows in the company of his friends, his family, even if those around him had grown to dislike his behavior. He appreciated the home and purpose he had at the abbey, but singing old songs and reliving those memories . . . It was the only way he could find beauty and peace in the miserable hell life bestowed upon him.

Ichigo sputtered yet again as a clump of straw hit him in the face. He looked in bewilderment at the red-head who wore a victorious smirk on his face. "Renji!" He scrubbed his face and hair, glaring at the elder male.

"Get out of here."

The orangette's anger melted away, staring wide-eyed at his best friend and brother. "What?"

"I said get out! Go on!" Renji shook his rake threateningly at Ichigo. His own smile grew when one melted onto the features of the younger.

"Are you serious?!"

"Yes!" Renji shouted in finality. "Now leave before I waste all of my clean straw on you!" He hoisted another clump of hay on to the rake and aimed it at his brother. Before Ichigo could notice the ruse, the orangette bolted from the stable door and rushed into the streets. With a chuckle and a sigh, Renji bent to pick up the rake that was readily tossed on the ground in favor of escape. He leaned against the stable's opening and watched the boy jog up the small hill and into the city, knowing all too well where those footsteps would lead. "Just be sure to return before the evening bells, or Sister Soifon will have your head!" he called after Ichigo, although he was sure the boy hadn't heard a word he said.

* * *

A rare, delighted smile broke out across Ichigo's face as he climbed higher into the alpine meadow. The astounding view of the landscape – the rolling hills and lush forests, glittering lakes and majestic mountains, just like in his dreams – only served to fuel the overwhelming feelings of happiness and peace that threatened to consume him with bliss. It had been much too long

Ichigo stood for a moment, overlooking the valley below, and closed his eyes, a hand in his hair. Breathing deep, the earthy pine of the meadow washed over his senses, the heady scent prickling along the edge of his mind. The sunlight danced across his skin, warm and almost smooth to the touch, as a soft breeze tugged lightly at his clothing, begging him to step further into the peaceful setting. Ichigo opened his eyes with a sigh, half relief and half elation, and his arm fell to his side.

Nothing had changed.

The orangette continued his carefree stroll through the tall grass as it swayed gently in the breeze, letting nature itself be his guide, and he soon found himself in the company of a grove of young birch trees. Ichigo admired the marbled bark, tracing the papery texture with light fingertips. The leaf ceiling above glowed a vibrant green, casting pretty shadows about Ichigo's feet. A brook trickled and laughed nearby as it tripped and fell over stones on its way.

Leaning against a tree, Ichigo felt a wave of calm settle over him. It was something about the countryside that seemed to make everything . . . _right._ He knew that, whenever he felt lonely, especially after his friends left the orphanage, he could go to the hills and have his heart be filled with memories of laughter and joy and belonging. It was incredible, a beautiful and wonderful feeling, but at the same time had no name. It made his heart want to beat like the wings of the birds, to rise high above the lakes and trees and into the crystal blue sky, to sigh like a chime that flew from a church caught on a breeze. And yet, the source remained unknown.

A soft laugh escaped pretty pink lips. Perhaps it was like the old folksong Ichigo had learned as a child and it was the hills themselves that completed his lonely heart. No sooner had the thought crossed his mind, a light hum snuck past Ichigo's lips and the song came tumbling forth.

_"The hills are alive with the sound of music with songs they have sung for a thousand years. The hills fill my heart with the sound of music. My heart wants to sing every song it hears."_

Ichigo carefully slid down the tree trunk until he was sitting at the base on the feathery carpet of soft green. He let his head fall back, pesky orange bangs falling over his eyes, resting against the sturdy trunk. Maybe it was the sound of music that brought him such happiness, he thought, a lazy smile on his face. It made sense, with the amount of singing he seemed to do. Chocolate orbs disappeared behind drooping lids as the orangette silently slipped into a deep sleep.

Perhaps then, even when the time came to leave the hills, the sound of music would bring Ichigo happiness in another way . . .

* * *

When he woke, several hours had passed and the sun had drifted closer to the horizon. Long shadows traced patterns on the meadow grass and the once-dreaming orangette. Ichigo managed to stand and stretch, letting out a contented sigh when he felt the clicks and pops of his spine shifting back into place. He reached out and gently patted the birch tree in parting before stuffing his hands in his pockets and leaving the grove, slow reluctant feel scuffing in the tall grass.

The dreamy smile on Ichigo's face all but faded away as the sound of church bells drifted up the hillside. Orange brows furrowed in confusion as the low tolls continued, halting Ichigo's steps.

The . . . bells?

"Shit!"

With the sudden realization that he'd slept the day away, despite Renji's warning, and that the evening bells were now calling, Ichigo took off running as fast as he could across the field, leaving his precious alpine meadow behind for the call of the city and of home. The Sisters would be waiting for him whem the mass ended.

And he was going to be late.

* * *

In the courtyard of the abbey, nuns moved with an unhurried grace, drifting silently across the cobblestone floor. Black habits and hooded wimples framed their faces and hid their hair. Young novices, too, smocked in grey aprons walked calmly in their company, carrying Bibles with them into chapel.

Rich stained glass windows captured the golden sunlight that filtered into the chapel, wrapping the meditating souls in its divine colors. Young and old, the sisters filed into the small sanctuary, kneeling in the pews beside intricately carved statues of the saints and notable figures that lined the room. A choir of nuns stood high above in a balcony, their soothing hymn echoing lightly around the praying figures below.

Before the altar, three nuns knelt before the Madonna and Child aglow with the warm light of many candles. At the center is the Reverend Mother, her white-gloved hands clasped gently in prayer. Formerly known as Retsu Unohana, the woman raised her gently rounded face to the artistic rendering, blue eyes sparkling in the candlelight. The choir's song drifted away as church bells began to ring.

The Reverend Mother slowly rose to her feet and turned to the congregation of sisters, crossing herself before them. A chorus of "_Alleluia"_ ended the simple service of prayer and meditation.

* * *

The Reverend Mother now walked along the quiet courtyard, the same two sisters who knelt beside her at the altar on either side, when she was approached by another young nun.

"Reverend Mother?"

The kind woman paused, as did her company, and replied in a soft voice. "Sister Isane?"

"I simply cannot find him," the nun said, looking dismayed.

"Ichigo?" A tentative nod was her answer.

"He's missing again."

A light scoff beside the Reverend Mother gathered their attention, and the tender women turned to face the Mistress of Novices. "Perhaps we should have put a cowbell around his neck," Sister Soifon remarked with a stiff smile. The idea made the Mother Unohana shake her head with a thin smile of her own.

"Have you tried the stables and barn?" The gentle yet cheery question came from the Mistress of Postulants, Sister Orihime.

"I have, and Renji said he hasn't seen the boy since early this afternoon. I have looked everywhere in all of the usual places."

"Sister Isane," Mother Unohana addressed the young nun, "considering that it's Ichigo, I suggest you look in someplace unusual." The girl paused lightly at the suggestion, pondering over the advice before tipping her head and walked away, leaving the three nuns to continue across the almost empty courtyard.

"Well, Reverend Mother," said Sister Soifon, her tone harsh, "I hope this new infraction ends whatever doubts you may still have about Ichigo's future here."

But the woman remained gentle in her response. "I always try to keep faith in my doubts, Sister Soifon."

"After all, the wool of a black sheep is just as warm," Sister Orihime supplied.

The Mistress of Novices frowned as her temper began to show. "We are not talking about sheep, black or white, Sister Orihime. What Renji told Sister Isane was obviously a lie. He knows Ichigo best out of all of us, and I'm certain he knows where that orange-haired menace ran off to. It only proves my point further – that boy doesn't belong here!"

Before the argument could get out of hand any further, Mother Unohana chided them with firm words. "Children, children." She noticed several nuns had gathered not too far away from them, staring with worried and puzzled expressions. She took a few steps towards the small group. "We were speculating the character of a certain individual. The Mistress of Novices and the Mistress of Postulants," she said, gesturing to each, "were trying to help me by expressing opposite points of view." She turned to the first of the other nuns. "Tell me, Sister Nanao, what do you think of . . . Ichigo?"

"He's a wonderful boy . . . some of the time," she said stepping forward, her glasses reflecting in the low light.

"Sister Kiyone?"

"It's easy to like Ichigo, Reverend Mother . . . except when it's, uh," the girl said, shrugging, "not."

"And you, Sister Momo?"

"Oh, I care about him very dearly," the last nun replied, but she paused, thinking. "But he always seems to be in trouble."

"Exactly what I say!" Sister Soifon exclaimed. "He's never where he's supposed to be – he always goes climbing trees, running through the countryside, scraping himself in some form and ruining the good clothes we provide for him."

"He's more likely to mess about in his duties when he should be helping about the orphanage or tending to his other work about the Abbey," Sister Nanao stated, adjusting her glasses, with Sister Kiyone adding, "I've even heard him singing and whistling in the Abbey!"

All the while the Reverend Mother remained silent as the nuns continued to supply complaints about their 'son.' Sister Soifon continued her protest: "He's always late for everything –"

" – Except for every meal!" Sister Kiyone cut in.

"I hate to have to say it," the Mistress of Novices stated, steepling her fingers, the false sympathy evident in her voice, "but I very firmly feel it: Ichigo's no longer an asset to the Abbey."

"I'd like to say a word on his behalf!" announced the Mistress of Postulants, ending her silence with a delicate tap of her foot, bowing her head to the Reverend Mother.

"Then say it, Sister Orihime."

"Ichigo . . . makes me . . . laugh!" she proclaimed, a giggle escaping with her smile. Sister Soifon only scowled at the words, the other's mirth slipping away at the stern frown. Mother Unohana simply shook her head, smiling lightly, at the exchange.

The Reverend Mother turned to address all of the gathered nuns. "How do you solve a problem like Ichigo?" she pondered and supplied another inquiry before the women could answer: "How do you catch a cloud and pin it down?" The nuns stood vexed by the question, unsure of what to make of the hidden riddle. They slowly began to follow Mother Unohana as she glided across the cobblestone courtyard. "Many a thing you know you'd like to tell him – how he should act, speak, work – and all those things he ought to understand," she reasoned.

"But how do you make him stay and listen to all you say?" Sister Soifon questioned, her frustrations shaping further into the frown she wore.

But the woman only continued to smile and countered. "How do you keep a wave upon the sand?"

"Oh, but Reverend Mother . . ." She turned to the young soft-spoken Sister Momo. The girl hesitated before she spoke. "When I'm with Ichigo, everything becomes so confusing and out of focus. He talks endlessly of his dream-worlds and I get so dazed and distracted. Truthfully, as much as I care about the boy, I never really know exactly where I am when Ichigo's around. He makes everything seem so much harder." She wrung her hands gently as the others around her adder their worth.

"He's as unpredictable as weather with that temper of his, always fighting and cursing without thinking."

"He could out-pester any pest, like driving a hornet from its own nest."

Sister Orihime protested, "But he's a darling!"

"He's a demon! And a headache!" Sister Soifon countered.

"He's an angel!"

Mother Unohana put her hands up with a steely smile, silencing the arguing nuns. "He's a boy," she sighed. "You ask how to solve a problem like Ichigo, and in turn I'll ask you again." She turned to fully face the Sisters, expression softening. "How do you hold a moonbeam in your hand?" Finally the nuns seemed to grasp the hidden meaning behind the riddles, their voices gone completely silent as their eyes drifted down to the cobblestone floor.

Ichigo was impossible.

Suddenly, a resounding echo easily filled the empty courtyard as a door slammed shut. The startled nuns gazed in the direction of running footsteps as they traveled closer, the harsh slaps on the stone growing louder. Predictably, a shock of orange hair could be seen as Ichigo raced headlong into the courtyard, stopping only for a moment to snatch a handful of water at a nearby pump and greedily gulp it down. He tore past the nuns only to stop dead in his tracks, whipping around to come face-to-face with the Reverend Mother. Chocolate eyes widened as the orangette cautiously took a step back from the Sisters.

"Ichigo, may I have a word with you later?" Mother Unohana asked politely, an idea already forming in her mind.

The young man nodded, regaining some of his usual composure when a scowl crept across his face. He slumped slightly as he turned away, stuffing his hands into his pockets and continued through the courtyard at a much more reasonable speed.

The nuns only shook their heads in dismay as they watched him go before finally dispersing to their chambers for the evening.

* * *

Ichigo found himself leaning against a cold stone wall before the Reverend Mother's office. The dark, austere hallway did nothing to lift the feelings of dread and dismay twisting in his stomach. He knew the Sisters had been discussing him, and that's why he was about to face Mother Unohana. His stomach lurched at the thought of whatever punishments the Mistress of Novices wanted to lay out on him for his 'disobedience.'

The orangette's scowl deepened at the thought, but cleared his thoughts when the door to the office unlocked and out stepped Sister Orihime.

With the kindest smile, she said, "You may go in now, Ichigo." Anxiety rushed to the surface as the boy's warm eyes looked past the Sister to gaze at the partly open door. Ichigo felt a gentle squeeze on his arm and he smiled gratefully at the Mistress of Postulants. That woman would surely become a saint. But when she moved away, all Ichigo could do was take a deep breath and step into the office.

The Reverend Mother was seated at her desk reading over some papers when she heard the door shut quietly and looked up to see the young orangette waiting by the door. Setting aside the documents, she called out to him from where he stood clinging to the wall, it seemed. "Come here, my child."

Ichigo stiffly walked over to the Abbess and knelt to respectfully kiss her hand, just as he had been taught in all his years at the orphanage.

"Now, sit down."

For the tough and stubborn attitude the boy portrayed, it all seemed to unravel now before her. "Reverend Mother, I'm so sorry," Ichigo apologized, burying his face in his hands. "I just couldn't help myself. Renji and I had almost finished the work in the stables, and he said I could go, that it was no problem. And the sky was so blue today and everything was so green; the hills were beckoning and I just had to be a part of it –"

"Ichigo." The man looked up. "I haven't summoned you here for apologies," Mother Unohana said with a small smile. Ichigo shivered slightly; for as lovely as the woman was, the Reverend Mother forever had a threatening aura about her even with a gentle face.

"You haven't?" The kindly woman shook her head slowly. Damn. Then what had she . . . ? He sighed. "But there is something I should apologize for."

"Oh?"

"Lately, I can't seem to stop singing wherever I am," he said sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck. He wasn't ashamed the he, a _boy_, enjoyed singing. Oh, no. But it sometimes made things a bit awkward or difficult while working throughout the abbey with the Sisters. "And what's worse, I can't stop saying anything and everything that comes across my mind."

"Some people would call that honesty," said Mother Unohana.

"But it's not right! And I hate it! It's not what you and the Sisters have taught us at the orphanage, Reverend Mother. You know how Sister Soifon always makes me kiss the floor after we've had a disagreement?" The Abbess was familiar with that particular practice, seen many times used on the candidates of the novitiate. "Well, I've taken to kissing the damn floor when I see the bitch coming – just to save time!" He froze when he realized what had slipped from his mouth and in front of whom, brown eyes wide with fear and instant regret.

Mother Unohana closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. It seemed Ichigo was well aware of the wrongs he'd committed and even felt the guilt of his actions, but she couldn't help but feel this wasn't the place for the orange-haired boy, no matter how much she dislike agreeing with Sister Soifon. Well, then, maybe her idea would be successful. Blue eyes opened again.

"Ichigo, what is the most important lesson you have learned here, my child?" she asked the orangette.

His scowl began to reform at the thought; he might not entirely believe in everything the nuns had taught him, but he wouldn't forget his lessons. "To find out what is the will of God and to do it wholeheartedly."

The Reverend Mother rose from her desk to walk closer to the young man. "Then, Ichigo, it seems to be the will of God that you leave us."

"Leave?!" He all but leapt from his chair.

"Only for a while, Ichigo."

"Oh, no, Mother! Please don't do that! Don't send me away!" he begged frantically. Ichigo could feel his heart sink to the floor; he knew even with Renji's company he felt awkward with life in the abbey, like he was out of place. He knew he would have to leave someday but . . . "This is where I belong. It's my home, my family. It's my life."

The Reverend Mother raised a delicate brow. "Are you sure of that?"

"Yes." The answer was immediate. Mother Unohana could only sigh at his stubbornness.

"Ichigo, I can't help but think there's another life out there waiting for you. Perhaps if you go out into the world for a time, you will have the chance to find it."

"But I have everything I need here, Mother. I promise I –"

"Ichigo." He gazed into the nun's stern, frightening yet kind face.

"Yes, Mother." He sunk back down into his chair, the scowl evident in his voice. "If it's God's will."

The Abbess walked behind her desk again to retrieve a small letter from the papers there. Reading it over carefully, she spoke, "There is a family near Salzburg that needs a governess until September."

Ichigo fidgeted in his seat. "Reverend Mother." She looked up. "You said . . . a governess?"

"Yes, is something the matter?"

He shook his head and chuckled dryly. "Last time I checked, I wasn't a woman."

A mischievous smile crept on to the Reverend Mother's face. "I think a . . . change in perspective is in order."

Ichigo eyed her suspiciously, but then sighed, slumping back in the chair and scrubbing his face. "Until September . . ." he muttered.

"To take care of seven children."

"Seven children!" Mother Unohana noted how Ichigo jolted at the words, brown eyes wide and orange brown practically nestled in his hairline.

"Don't you like children, Ichigo?" She very well knew how he helped tend for the young ones at the orphanage.

"Well . . . yes, but . . . _seven_?" he asked, skeptical.

The Abbess sat behind her desk and retrieved a pen and ink with a sheet of paper, ignoring the young man's question. "I will tell Captain Jaegerjaques to expect you tomorrow," she said decidedly as she began to write the letter.

"Uh, Captain?"

Mother Unohana smiled gently as her pen scratched across the paper. "A retired officer of the Imperial Navy. A fine man and a brave one. His wife died several years ago leaving him alone with the children. Now, I understand he's had a most difficult time managing to keep a governess there."

"Why 'difficult,' Reverend Mother?" That mischievous smile was back.

"The Lord will show you in His own good time."

Orange brows rose dubiously as Ichigo watched the Reverend Mother finish writing the letter. What the hell had he gotten himself into?

* * *

So, what do you think? Worth continuing?

If you have any questions, comments, fears, or potential phobias, feel free to ask and I'll do my best to answer them.

You know where the review button is~

**Ja ne**

**Cody Zik**


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